Creating Opportunity in Your Own Backyard
Many people believe to be successful, we must do extraordinary things. In fact, you just have to know where to look.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the parable “Acres of Diamonds,” which was at the heart of motivational speaker Russell Conwell’s most famous talk. To sum up the parable, a wealthy man named Ali Hafed felt contented because he was wealthy, until a priest visited him and told him about diamonds. Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man, not because he had lost anything, but because he feared he was poor. He sold his farm, left his family and traveled all over searching for diamonds. He didn’t find them, and, feeling dejected, cast himself into the sea. One day, the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm found a sparkling stone in a stream, right on his land. It was a diamond, and more digging yielded more diamonds, acres of diamonds in fact.
The point of the story is that we often think about fortunes to be made elsewhere, when we should be open to the opportunities right in our backyard. The same can be said for a career in real estate.
First, start with where you are and what you have. Find the best in what’s around you and believe in the great opportunities available on your doorstep. Also, think about the familiar in new ways.
Building relationships is important as well. Everything you need to succeed in business and life comes from who you already know. Relationships are at the heart of success, and you must invest in the relationships closest to you.
Pay close attention to what your client wants. Many businesses fail because we assume we know what our clients need. Therefore, we need to ask what our client needs and observe our client needs.
Money is not the root of all evil. When you achieve success, people may make judgments about your character or criticize you. Can you be rich and still be a good person? Of course, you can! Remember, you can do more good with money than without it. When you achieve wealth and success, try to do some good in the world.
Finally, greatness is found everywhere. According to Conwell, “Greatness consists not in the holding of some future office, but in doing great deeds with little means, and the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks of life.”
If you want to achieve greatness, begin with who and where you are.
